Infection Nursing Diagnosis & Care Plan

Infections are often the result of pathogens through direct contact with a host. There are a variety of treatment options, depending on the root cause. Nurses are responsible for the care of these patients and for collaborating with other healthcare professionals. 

Nursing care plans are developed by nurses to identify long-term and short-term goals for the patient as well as goals. 

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What is an Infection?

Infections can be caused by various pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. They range from mild, which can be managed at home, to life-threatening, such as sepsis. Some infections, such as chickenpox, can be prevented by vaccines. 

Common Symptoms of Infections

Signs and symptoms of an infection can be specifically related to the type of infection and pathogen or can be more ambiguous. Common infection symptoms include:

• Fever
• Muscle ache
• Headache
• Color change
• Coughing
• Diarrhea¹

Infection Causes

Infections are typically caused by four types of pathogens: 

• Bacteria: Bacteria are single-celled organisms with their instructions written on a small piece of DNA.
• Virus: A virus is a piece of information (DNA or RNA) inside of a protective shell (capsid). 
• Fungi: Fungus overgrow and invade the body. 
• Parasite: Parasites use the bodies of other organisms to live and reproduce.²

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Common Types of Infections

Organisms can enter the body through direct or indirect contact or vector transmission.

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How to Develop an Infection Nursing Care Plan

Developing a nursing care plan helps nurses and other healthcare professionals ensure that short-term and long-term goals for the patient are met. 

The first consideration when developing a nursing care plan for infection is to determine a patient’s goals. While parts of the nursing care plan are things you come up with, the nursing diagnosis must be on the NANDA-I approved nursing diagnosis list. 

According to the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA),  a nursing diagnosis is “a clinical judgment about the human response to health conditions/life processes, or a vulnerability for that response, by an individual, family, group or community.”

A nursing diagnosis is rooted in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs pyramid and helps prioritize treatments. Based on the nursing diagnosis, you’ll set goals to resolve your patient’s problems through nursing implementations determined in the next step.

NANDA-I separates nursing diagnoses into four categories:

1. Problem-focused: A diagnosis based on patient problems present during a nursing assessment.
2. Risk: A diagnosis based on risk factors that require intervention from a nurse or healthcare team before a real problem develops.
3. Health promotion: A diagnosis that intends to improve the overall well-being of an individual, family, or community.
4. Syndrome: Based on a cluster of nursing diagnoses that occur in a pattern or can all be addressed through the same or similar nursing interventions.

Determining the most important goals for the patient and the corresponding nursing diagnosis provides the basis to create an infection care plan that can best support the patient while reaching those goals.

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Infection Nursing Care Plan Components

A nursing care plan has several key components, including: 

• Nursing Diagnosis
• Expected outcome
• Nursing interventions and rationales
• Evaluation

Each of the five main components is essential to the overall nursing process and care plan. A properly written care plan must include these sections. Otherwise, it won’t make sense.

• Nursing diagnosis: A clinical judgment that helps nurses determine the plan of care for their patients.
• Expected outcome: The measurable action for a patient to be achieved in a specific time frame. 
• Nursing interventions and rationales: Actions to be taken to achieve expected outcomes and reasoning behind them.
• Evaluation: Determines the effectiveness of the nursing interventions and determines if expected outcomes are met within the time set.

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Infection Nursing Care Plan Examples

All nursing diagnoses must be NANDA-I approved and have corresponding definitions to help guide nurses in writing a nursing care plan.³

• NANDA-I Definition of Infection: A state in which an organism invades and multiplies in the body's tissues, causing an immune response.

Other Nursing Care Plans

• Hypertension Nursing Care Plan
• Acute Pain Nursing Care Plan
• Constipation Nursing Care Plan

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References

¹ McCance, Kathryn L., Pathophysiology: The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children. 8 ed., Elsevier, 2019.

² Ball, Jane W., Seidel's Guide to Physical Examination: An Interprofessional Approach. 9 ed., Elsevier, 2019.

³ Herdman, T. H., Shigemi Kamitsuru, and Camila Lopes, eds. 2024. NANDA-I International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions & Classification, 2024-2026. 13th ed. N.p.: Thieme Medical Publishers.

⁴ Dayal S, Jenkins SM, Hong PL. Preterm and Term Prelabor Rupture of Membranes (PPROM and PROM) . In: StatPearls . Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532888/.

*This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease.

Nursing Care Plan